Version control

Version control, also known as source control, is a system that tracks and manages changes to files, most commonly source code in software development. It records every modification made by individuals or teams—capturing who made the change, when it was made, and why—maintaining a complete historical record of all revisions. This enables developers and security teams to revert to previous stable states, compare different versions, and merge concurrent changes efficiently.

In the context of cybersecurity, version control serves as a critical security control that ensures the integrity and authenticity of digital assets. It helps prevent unauthorized alterations, mitigates the risk of malicious code injection, and provides a clear audit trail essential for compliance and forensic analysis. By safeguarding intellectual property, facilitating secure collaboration, and managing configuration files and infrastructure as code, version control reduces vulnerabilities and strengthens an organization's overall security posture, making it a cornerstone of application and software security.